1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiator guard for a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, and to a vehicle having a radiator guard.
2. Description of the Background Art
A radiator guard, mainly in the form of a radiator guard grille, is typically arranged on the front end of a vehicle and has one or more horizontal and/or vertical bars, which enable the passing of a cooling air stream to units or other devices arranged within the engine compartment. Moreover, the radiator guard grille because of its impression or the quality of its design quite often represents a part that is characteristic for the vehicle. The striking impact of the radiator guard grille in this regard can even go so far that the particular vehicle or the vehicle manufacturer can already be identified from the radiator guard grille by the relevant public or customers. In the recent past, because of the steadily decreasing supply of fuels for the combustion engine-powered drive of motor vehicles, great efforts have been made to provide alternative types of drives.
Electric engine or hybrid drives have become increasingly important, whereby driving power is provided in the form of electrical energy by means of electrical storage elements, such as batteries or accumulators. To supply batteries with electrical energy, external charging stations are preferably provided, which for their part can be connected to the vehicle's battery by means of a charging cable. In this respect, the vehicle has a charging socket associated with a corresponding charging plug of the charging station. The charging socket is placed, for example, in an ergonomically favorable manner in the area of the front end of the vehicle.
In view of an external supplying of the battery or accumulator with electrical current, DE 33 07 812 A1 discloses a charging socket disposed directly behind the radiator guard grille of the vehicle. The access to the charging socket is enabled via an opening in the radiator guard, in the present case in the radiator guard grille, whereby said opening can be closed by a separate, removable cover. It can be regarded as disadvantageous in this case that a possible striking impression of the conventional radiator guard, i.e., without the opening together with the cover, is at least spoiled by this fixture or fitting. Thus there is the need to maintain the striking design of the radiator guard in the possible extensions of its functions as well.
JP 7122328 A describes a charging socket that is arranged on the front end of a vehicle and is covered by an emblem arranged centrally on a radiator guard grille. The emblem is mounted rotatable around a defined pivot point and swings from a closed position where it covers the charging socket to an opened position where it releases the access to the charging socket. The size of the opening arranged behind the emblem for access to the charging socket is thereby determined by the emblem and is accordingly very limited.